Mental Health Services
Dail Éireann — 2026-07-09
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Liam Quaide (SD), Cork East

The Department is not funding the teams. That is the main issue. There is a stark double standard here. In mainstream CAMHS, multidisciplinary staffing is treated as basic good practice. In CAMHS, there is meant to be consultant psychiatry, psychology, social work, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, but we know the CAMHS-ID services are patchy and understaffed. In some areas, they are non-existent. Some services are operating with little more than a psychiatrist, with limited or no access to occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, social work, psychology, nursing and family supports. The north Kerry CAMHS review showed the devastating consequences when children with intellectual disabilities are left exposed to an over-medicalised model of care. These are among the most vulnerable children in the State. Their needs are often more complex than those of young people attending standard CAMHS. I am asking the Minister of State for a clear commitment. When will the Government move beyond small, incremental additions year by year and fully fund CAMHS-ID teams in every region? When will that happen?

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-07-09/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-09-14T01:01:07+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-07-09